Frequently Asked Questions

In Colorado, yes! Psilocybin is legal for adults aged 21 and older in Colorado for use at licensed healing centers. This stems from Proposition 122, passed by voters in 2022.

Psilocybin is a naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in certain types of mushrooms, commonly known as "magic mushrooms" or "shrooms". When ingested, the body converts psilocybin into psilocin, which is the chemical that causes hallucinogenic and mind-altering effects.

Yes. My clients undergo a thorough safety assessment. If concerns arise from the safety assessment, a psychiatric consultation is included in the package. I work together with you and the psychiatrist around medical, mental health and prescription drug concerns.

There are more use cases than space here to discuss them. To begin, psilocybin has been authorized for use in Colorado for the experience itself. This natural medicine often connects people to an inner wisdom. Another way to think about this is that for many people, the medicine connects them to their spirituality in profound and life-changing ways.

Many people also find that psilocybin enhances creativity and helps them find solutions to problems. These problems might be intellectual, career oriented or deeply personal.

The state of Colorado also recognizes that psilocybin has a place in the treatment of conditions in which the scientific literature indicates that it is both safe and effective, including:

• depression

• anxiety

• trauma

• post-traumatic stress

• end of life distress

• addiction and substance abuse

• other mental health issues

Benefits may occur after only one treatment, though an initial course of several treatments may be required for a more robust response.

Men's work is about personal growth, community, healing, self-improvement, leadership and making the world a safer place. This work is mission driven and often supported by men’s circles. These men’s circles take place outside of the coaching relationship with me. They are organically formed by local communities and they are free. For men who want the support, I help them connect to men’s circles nearby so that they can meet with likeminded men who support one another in their individual missions. By having deep connections with other men, my clients can accelerate their growth. Many of my clients view our coaching relationship as a means of support for their mission-driven work.

At this point, it might be helpful to explain what I mean by the term mission. My belief is that when we have a clear mission in life, we are more likely to become the people we want to be. My mission, for example, is to co-create a culture in which people are more connected to themselves, each other and the natural world. I do this work with psychedelics because it supports my mission. And I offer psychedelics to my clients because psychedelics are effective at helping them succeed in their individual missions. When used wisely, psychedelics accelerate the process of healing, self-improvement and making the world a safer place.

Psilocybin is gaining traction among the executives I work with not just for its mental health benefits but also for its potential to enhance performance, leadership, and emotional intelligence. The demanding, high-pressure nature of executive roles often leads to burnout, stress, and rigid thought patterns. Psilocybin offers a path to disrupt these cycles and unlock a new kind of strategic and personal growth.

Psilocybin disrupts the brain's default mode network (DMN), a system associated with rigid thinking and self-referential thought. This disruption creates a "mental reset" that fosters cognitive flexibility and new perspectives. In other words, psilocybin helps with creativity and problem solving, often offering new insights to seemly intractable obstacles. The executives I work with often find a renewed sense of purpose and a deeper connection to their careers.

Psilocybin helps the couples I work with by enhancing communication, empathy, and intimacy. It often provides new perspectives on relationship dynamics and can help partners address long-held resentments and emotional barriers. 

Studies show that psilocybin can increase emotional empathy. This can help partners feel more deeply attuned to each other and gain a deeper understanding of their partner's inner world. The journey experience can help couples move beyond judgment and towards a greater sense of compassion for each other, which can be particularly useful when processing old misunderstandings. 

Psilocybin can also help individuals release emotional blocks and past traumas that they may be carrying from within or outside the relationship. The experience can help couples move past grudges and resentment by transcending normal consciousness and seeing their struggles from a new, broader perspective. Some couples report feeling a profound sense of interconnectedness and "oneness" while using psilocybin, which can strengthen their bond. 

I offer the EEG brain scans as a part of the package to give you access to objective data about your experience on psilocybin.

An EEG (electroencephalogram) brain scan measures the electrical activity in a client's brain both before and after a psilocybin session. By comparing the before and after scans, you can gain valuable insights into the neural changes associated with the psychedelic experience.

Psilocybin promotes neuroplasticity by activating serotonin receptors, which triggers a cascade of molecular events that lead to the growth and reorganization of neurons in the brain. This process can help break rigid, negative thought patterns associated with conditions like depression and anxiety. 

The process through which psilocybin promotes the brain's ability to change—its plasticity—involves several key steps: 

• Activation of the 5-HT2A serotonin receptor: After the body converts psilocybin into psilocin, it primarily binds to and activates the 5-HT2A serotonin receptors. This receptor is heavily expressed in brain regions like the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for mood regulation and emotional control.

• Boosts brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF): Receptor activation leads to an increase in BDNF, a protein crucial for regulating neuronal growth and synaptic plasticity. Higher BDNF levels have been correlated with improvements in mood and reduced symptoms of depression.

• Stimulates growth of new neurons and synapses: Psilocybin rapidly and persistently increases the density of dendritic spines, which are tiny protrusions on neurons that form synaptic connections. This process, known as spinogenesis, creates new pathways for communication between brain cells.

• Engages the mTOR pathway: The increase in BDNF stimulates the TrkB and mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) signaling pathways. Sustained activation of mTOR is necessary for the dendritic growth stimulated by psychedelics.

• Triggers broad network reorganization: Brain imaging studies show that psilocybin disrupts the activity of established neural networks, especially the default mode network (DMN). The DMN is associated with self-reflection, rumination, and habitual thought patterns. The temporary desynchronization of this network promotes greater connectivity between different brain regions and enables the formation of new, more flexible thought patterns. 

Psilocybin induces a temporary, but significant, period of enhanced neuroplasticity that can last for weeks to months. This "window of plasticity" is key to its lasting therapeutic effects, as it creates an opportunity for new learning and new behaviors to take root. The psychological experience during this period—especially when supported by a coaching relationship—is believed to synergize with the enhanced brain flexibility, allowing for deep emotional processing and insight. Changes in neuronal structure that occur during this window of heightened plasticity can endure long after the drug has left the body.

I like to think that we call it a journey because it’s an adventure! My experience of the medicine is that it opens my clients to their subconscious. To their inner wisdom. Or to their spirituality. You and I will use the term that resonates most with you.

You will eat the dried mushroom (fruit) or drink it in a tea. About twenty minutes in you will feel begin to feel the effects. The experience will likely peak 2 hours in and last 5-8 hours, depending on the dose. Colorado law requires that you remain in my care, as your facilitator, in the healing center for at least 3 hours if the dose is 1 gram or less and for at least 5 hours if the dose is greater than 1 gram.

Psilocybin alters perception. Clients frequently see vibrant colors, geometric patterns, and halos of light around objects. Surfaces may appear to ripple or "breathe". Sounds can become distorted or heightened. Some people experience synesthesia, a "crossing" of senses where they may "see" music or "hear" colors. The sense of time can be dramatically altered, often feeling like it is slowing down or moving differently than usual. A person may feel detached from their body or surroundings, or feel that reality is not real. While distortions are common, higher doses can induce more complex, realistic-seeming hallucinations. 

Many users experience intense feelings of happiness, elation, and well-being. Psilocybin can lead to profound, spiritually significant experiences, such as a sense of connection to nature, the universe or God. Some users feel a sense of "oneness" with everything around them. Emotions are often amplified, which can lead to heightened feelings of awe and wonder.

My clients often find new patterns of thought. Psilocybin can lead to deep introspection, allowing a person to examine their own thoughts, feelings, and memories. A powerful effect of higher doses is "ego death," or the temporary loss of one's sense of self and personal boundaries. 

Most people experience an increase in heart rate, and often times energy will move through the body is visible ways: for example, in twitching muscles.

My point of view is that there are no bad trips. Sometimes in order to get where you want to go, the adventure takes you into scary feelings, uncomfortable sensations or internal places you have resisted going (for really good reasons, I might add!). Many of my clients come to me because they want support in finally moving beyond what has held them back. Psilocybin is a powerful medicine to assist people in this work. So I think a more accurate term than bad trip is challenging trip. That is a thing! In my point of view, a good thing. And my experience is that my clients often get a lot out of a challenging experience: an experience that moves stuck energy or shows you just how much you’ve been carrying—and also reveals to you a path toward healing.

Yes! It is my experience that psilocybin opens us up and makes us more vulnerable. I want my clients to have time to be safely in that space. So taking a day to care for yourself after the journey is a great idea.

The position of the state of Colorado is that research suggests that psilocybin is unlikely to be addictive.

The state of Colorado recommends that you continue treatment with your prescription medications, as psilocybin works best when it is part of an integrated treatment program. That being said, some medications do pose a safety risk when used with psilocybin. These risks are screened for in the safety assessment. If concerns arise from the safety assessment, a psychiatric consultation is included in the package to help us navigate prescription medication concerns.

In Colorado, I am required to facilitate psilocybin journeys in licensed healing centers where we use mushrooms grown by licensed cultivators. Those mushrooms are tested for potency by licensed labs.

You and I will collaborate together to decide the dose. For clients who have a structure in mind to focus on a specific piece of work during the journey, a dose of 1 gram can allow you to use the medicine to consciously work through your intention. For clients who want to surrender control, a five gram dose is considered a heroic dose and for most people that dose is large enough to make structured work impractical. The experiences that take place on this side of the dosage spectrum are more mystical and often more difficult to describe.

My clients have found great value in structuring their work on lower doses and in surrendering to heroic doses.

Microdosing psilocybin is the practice of consuming very small, sub-perceptual doses of psilocybin, the psychoactive compound found in psychoactive mushrooms. Unlike macrodosing, the goal is not to induce a full psychedelic or hallucinogenic experience, but rather to achieve subtle enhancements in mood, creativity, focus, and overall well-being. 

A microdose is a fraction of a recreational or therapeutic dose. For psilocybin mushrooms, this is often estimated to be between 0.1 and 0.3 grams of dried mushrooms. The key feature is that the dose is low enough not to cause any noticeable changes in consciousness or sensory perception.

Proponents of microdosing report a range of potential benefits, including:

• Improved mood and reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety

• Increased creativity and problem-solving skills

• Enhanced focus, concentration, and productivity

• Greater energy and improved interpersonal relationships

Preparation sessions are the sessions prior to the journey when I learn more about what you want from our work together. We collaborate on how to help you accomplish your goals. This is also a time for you to get comfortable with me so that you can go as deep as you need to go during your journey. I often teach you how to use IFS and somatic tools during the preparation sessions.

We use integration sessions to help you process your journey. Many of my clients use integration sessions to consolidate gains and to create a plan to sustain their growth. This is also a good time to use somatic and IFS tools, which help you to make positive, long-lasting changes. I feel most satisfied when my clients learn the skills necessary to continue to move toward their goals long after our work together is complete.

Somatic tools are techniques that use your body's physical sensations and movements to help you regulate your nervous system, process difficult emotions, and heal from stress or trauma. The term "somatic" comes from the Greek word soma, meaning "of the body". 

Many challenging experiences, especially trauma, are stored not just in your mind but also in your body. This can cause your nervous system to get "stuck" in a state of fight, flight, or freeze, leading to physical symptoms like: 

• Muscle tension

• Stomach aches

• Rapid breathing

• Fatigue

• Feeling numb or disconnected 

• Inability to focus

• Insomnia

• Other types of illness

I teach you how to use somatic tools to help you release stored tension and regulate your nervous system, guiding it back to a calmer state. Many people find it helpful to utilize the somatic tools they have learned during their journey. 

Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a non-pathologizing world view that has helped many of my clients achieve their goals. This approach can offer profound insights on the inner conflicts that might keep us from achieving what we want in life. The goal of IFS is to bring the internal system into a harmonious, balanced state in which we are more likely to succeed. 

I teach you how to relate with yourself from this point of view because so many of my clients have found IFS to be a powerful integration tool, a tool that accelerates growth.

While research is ongoing, studies show that psilocybin journeys, legally offered in Denver, CO, at licensed healing centers, seem to help with PTSD by increasing the brain's flexibility, facilitating emotional breakthroughs, and modulating fear responses. The key mechanisms of action include:

• Reduced amygdala activity

• Enhanced neuroplasticity

• Facilitated fear extinction by promoting hippocampal neuroplasticity

• Modulation of the default mode network (DMN)

• Deepened connectedness 

The therapeutic benefit seems to come from using the medicine in a supportive environment with preparation sessions, a journey, and integration sessions.

Yes, a psilocybin journey, offered legally at licensed healing centers in Denver, CO, can help with anxiety. By activating serotonin receptors and promoting neuroplasticity, psilocybin can disrupt anxious thought patterns and enhance emotional resilience. Research suggests anxiety reduction, making psilocybin a powerful option for holistic healing. I posted relevant studies on the Science tab you can review.

A psilocybin journey, available at licensed healing centers in Colorado, can support addiction recovery by resetting brain networks, enhancing self-awareness, and fostering emotional breakthroughs. Studies, available for your review on the Science tab, suggest psilocybin aids smoking cessation and alcohol dependence.

A psilocybin journey, legal in Denver, CO, can foster profound spiritual growth by connecting clients to inner wisdom and a sense of oneness. People often report mystical experiences that enhance spiritual connection and personal meaning.